Hi,
I planned to travel to Venezuela with my girlfriend. However, the safety advises from the German government sound quite severe. They mention armed robbery etc. quite a lot.
So what is the situation in Venezuela - do you just have to be careful like everywhere in the world or is it really more severe in Venezuela
Thanks
When visiting Venezuela as an independent traveler, you accept a higher risk of becoming a crime victim than in most other countries.
Bad things happend to me in Venezuela, terrible things happened to other travelers I met and even many locals were absolutly paranoid about their or my safety.
Still, I`m contemplating another trip but am hesitant about the risks involved.
Next time, I would avoid Caracas at all costs. I would have a taxi from Choroni pick me up at the airport and would spend my first couple of days in Puerto Columbia. This should help me to get my bearings in a relaxed place and get filled in with the latest stories from travelers and expats.
Hi,
About the warnings about safety.... yes it's true
The touristic places like canaima(angel falls), Merida, los Roques, Roraima, Isla de Margarita and the "Hatos" in Los Llanos are safe.
Also Choroni, where I live, is a very safe. A lot of travellers start here in Choroni their hollydays.
greetings from;Choroni
I agree with #1's post; avoid Caracas like the plague... I felt really unsafe there and had spoken with several other travelers who had been harassed by police, robbed, etc. And when we were there in Choroni there was a kidnapping of a young girl.
I also agree with #2; personally, Margarita Island is not for me, but by going to places like Llanos, Mérida, Canaima, etc you can still get a great flavor of the country and the wonderful people and not miss anything by not going to Caracas.
I was robbed by a teenager at gunpoint in Coro, first time in 65 countries, so that may say something about Venezuela. I wrote a huge post about my experiences in Venezuela (do a search on my username). I did Caracas and had no problems, but didn't go to Sabe Grande district because of so many horror stories. The Bus station (Bandera) was fine during the day, lots of people about.
I went to Choroni and felt very safe. However, after Coro i didn't go out after dark anywhere. This seems to be common in the places i went, as Coro is deserted after dark. Don't carry anything you don't want to lose while walking about. Cops know foreigners carry dollars, and would like them!
My husband and I plan to go to Venezuela in two weeks, and I am very concerned about the violent crime and considering cancelling the trip. I am worried partly because we are both tall and fair. Also, my spanish is not very good (I can read and convey very simple information).
We will be in Merida and Los Roques, which I understand are safer, but we need to spend one night in Caracas before we fly home. I arranged a hotel in Las Mercedes. What is the safest way to get there and back to the airport? Should I have the hotel send a taxi or airport limo for us? Or should I try to arrange a hotel at the airport and lose the money on the Caracas hotel?
Any words of advice? We can still get most of our money back at this point.
The safe way to the hotel it's and official taxi(u will see them at the entry of the airport).Las Mercedes it's one of the safer areas in Caracas.
I agree with people in here that Caracas it's the more dangerous place in Venezuela but i never had a problem there(and next summer will be the 8th time i go there).I have even go party at night in,Las Mercedes(Caracas),El Tigre,and Puerto Ordaz.
For sure u must be careful as u must do it in all latin america.
Maybe it's because that i'm spanish that i think like that but,really never a single problem there.Don't show u have money at the streets,and don't go to the "cerros"(shantitowns).And that's all.
Depend where you go.
Hi, all well I'm Venezuelan/Spanish I lived most of my life there, yes there is crime, a lot of crime, but there's also a lot to see and enjoy, if you want to avoid crime ask the locals like the hotel people or cab drivers (in Spanish of course) about the local safety, because if you go to Caracas is no the same situation of Choroni or Canaima, Los Roques, etc, so my recommendation go and visit Canaima, Los Roques, Puerto Colombia (Choroni) always take cabs, Buen viaje.
Well im living in the USA but i was race in Caracas is just like NEW YORK u have to watchout for u own good, caracas have many places like any big city unsafe, the best thing to do if you can't avoid caracas most safe places are in the east side where the most media and rich people leave and is not tha expensive hotel tamanaco is a good one and their staff take good care of u, canaima,merida,los roques,margarita island